--- description: Photographer John Francis Peters captures how the ground is shifting—both seismically and politically—in Oklahoma title: The U.S.'s New Earthquake Capital: Oklahoma image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltffa98a5a7b51f0c7/69888a25e20a878575a8fe0d/160321053148.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [LightBox](/tag/time-section-lightbox/) ## LightBox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The U.S.'s New Earthquake Capital: Oklahoma by [Josh Sanburn](/author/josh-sanburn/) ## Josh Sanburn Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 14, 2016 8:00 AM CUT  An oil pumpjack, Crescent, OK An oil pumpjack, Crescent, OKJohn Francis Peters for Time by [Josh Sanburn](/author/josh-sanburn/) ## Josh Sanburn Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 14, 2016 8:00 AM CUT Oklahoma used to be a seismic afterthought, a place with so few earthquakes that in the 1990s it was one of three locations where the Soviets were allowed to monitor American nuclear testing. Today, however, Oklahoma is one of the most seismic places on the planet. In 2015, the state had 907 earthquakes that were 3-magnitude or greater compared with just one in 2007\. Scientists say the growth in seismicity is directly related to the oil and gas industry, specifically the use of disposal wells that reinject back into the earth salty wastewater that comes up naturally during drilling. An estimated 3 billion barrels of water came out of the ground in 2015, and its reinjection has increased pressure on the state’s fault lines, triggering hundreds of tremors in western and central Oklahoma. Over the last few years, homes have been damaged, property values have fallen, and interest in quake insurance has risen. The state, meanwhile, has been slow to respond. Critics say officials are too reliant on the industry to take any meaningful steps that would put real pressure on the industry, especially at a time when the price of oil has fallen by 70% since 2014\. Residents however, are taking action. Some are protesting. Some are suing. Others are even setting up seismographs on their own property to track the quakes themselves. The state’s oil and gas regulatory agency—the Oklahoma Corporation Commission—says that disposal has decreased significantly in the last several months. But many Oklahomans are still concerned that a big one will hit a populated area like Oklahoma City. Of equal concern are the long-term consequences of disposing billions of barrels of water back underground. Some seismologists say that even if all disposal activity stopped in the state immediately, there could be earthquakes for decades. [**_John Francis Peters_**](http://www.jfpetersphoto.com/ "undefined") _is a photographer based in Los Angeles._ **_Caroline Smith_**_, who edited this photo essay, is a special projects editor at TIME._ **_Josh Sanburn_** _is a writer at TIME._  An attendee holds a protest sign at a public forum event hosted at the Univ. of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK John Francis Peters for Time  An oil rig stands in front of the Oklahoma State Capitol building, Oklahoma City, OK John Francis Peters for Time  An oil pumpjack, Edmond, OK John Francis Peters for Time  Earthquake damage at St. Francis of the Woods Spiritual Renewal Center, Coyle, OK John Francis Peters for Time  Marc Crismon, an amateur seismologist, has a personal seismometer on his property hooked up to a laptop where he monitors seismic activity, Glenco, OK John Francis Peters for Time  John Francis Peters for Time  Earthquake damage at Jackie Dill’s home, Coyle, OK John Francis Peters for Time  Disaster insurance table at a public forum event, Univ. of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK John Francis Peters for Time  Cinder blocks left from demolition are piled in Crescent High School’s gymnasium. An earthquake on July 28, 2015 destabilized the gymnasium’s walls forcing the school to repair the entire structure, Crescent, OK John Francis Peters for Time  Johnson Bridgewater from the Sierra Club, points to areas affected by earthquakes at a public forum event hosted by Erin Brockovich and attended by notable public figures such as Casey Camp-Horinek from the Ponca Nation. Edmond, OK John Francis Peters for Time  Public forum event attendee LaDonna Kanay, yells in protest of what many consider man made earthquakes caused by oil and gas excavation, Univ. of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK John Francis Peters for Time  Construction crews work on the installation of an underground oil pipeline, Coyle, OK John Francis Peters for Time  Ground pollution caused by an oil producing well, Coyle, OK John Francis Peters for Time  Earthquake activist Jackie Dill observes an oil well which borders land owned by St. Francis of the Woods Spiritual Renewal Center, Coyle, OK John Francis Peters for Time  An oil pumpjack, Crescent, OK John Francis Peters for Time  A worker walks up stairs on an oil storage tank, Cushing, Oklahoma. Cushing is a vital transshipment point with many intersecting pipelines, storage facilities and easy access to refiners and suppliers. Crude oil flows inbound to Cushing from all directions and outbound through dozens of pipelines. It is one of the largest oil reserves in the world. 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